7 Simple Steps to Becoming a Freelance Writer to Start Today ...

If you want to turn writing into your career, you might be wondering what are the steps to becoming a freelance writer?

Whilst there’s no one way into writing, just as there’s no one way into any career, there are some simple steps to becoming a freelance writer that you can take today, and with a lot of hard work and determination, you could make your passion your 9-5.

Although be warned, it’s anything but 9-5!

1. Get a Portfolio

This is probably one of the most important steps to becoming a freelance writer.

You know the drill;

you can’t apply for writing jobs without a portfolio, but how can you have a portfolio if you’ve never had a writing job?

Well, you can write, so that’s a start, so why not pick 3-4 topics you enjoy writing about and write a few pieces for your portfolio.

An informative article, a casual blog post – whatever you feel like writing.

You can use these pieces to apply for writing jobs.

2. Apply for Writing Jobs

If you’re looking to write online, there are plenty of opportunities.2

Use Craigslist, Odesk, Freelancer.com and other freelancer sites to hunt for writing opportunities.

You might have to take poorly paid pieces to start with, but you’ll soon improve and gain experience, moving on to bigger and better paid clients.

Remember, the application process never really stops when you’re a freelance writer – I set aside at least an hour or two a week to assess my workload from current clients and see if I can spot any new opportunities, whether they’re long term working relationships or one-off projects.

3. Believe in Your Ability

When I say believe in your ability, there’s a certain amount of blagging to be done here.

Be confident and act as if you’re already a writer, and people will have faith in you!2

If you were responsible for writing for your college magazine or studied journalism at school, mention this in your job application.

Be confident in your ability to write well and create pieces that people will want to read.

Of course, not everyone will like your work, but then you’re not trying to please everyone – you just need to please your client so that you can make a living writing!